Living Water: Birthing Water

SERMON TITLE:   “Living Water:  Birthing Water”
SERMON TEXT:    John 3:1-17
PREACHER:           Rev. Kim James
OCCASION:           August 1, 2021, at First UMC
 
 
INTRODUCTION
 
                Aren’t you glad that we got some rain this week?  What a relief that has been!  Now, if only we can get a whole bunch more.  Because we’ve been in such an extreme drought this summer, I thought it would be a good idea to do a sermon series on water stories from the Gospel of John.  Last Sunday, we started with the story of Jesus’ first miracle, as told in John, chapter two.  Jesus was with family and friends at a wedding.  When the host ran out of wine, Jesus turned water into wine. 
                Out here in the dry western United States, we might have a greater need to turn wine back into water.  It seems like water managers are trying to squeeze every drop of water they can from the Colorado River and the other major watersheds of our region.  In spite of the little bit of rain we’ve had here in Northern Utah and the strong rainstorms they’ve had in the southern part of the state, all our big reservoirs and lakes are at their lowest levels ever recorded.  The Great Salt Lake, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead; our own Pineview Reservoir; and all the other water bodies will need huge amounts of rain and snow to reinvigorate them.  It’s like they need to be reborn.
                Birthing water is the focus of today’s scripture reading from the Gospel of John.  In chapter three, we overhear Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus.  Even though Nicodemus was a fully-grown man, Jesus was telling him that he needed to be born of water and the Spirit.  Let’s dive into this story and see how we too could come alive with this birthing water.

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